Mud scraping device

ABSTRACT

The floors of a multi-compartment settling basin are freed of settled solids by a carriage traveling on a track extending along the top of a common wall separating two adjacent compartments, a scraper and associated suction duct being suspended from each of the two opposite sides of the carriage in proximity to the corresponding floor.

United States Patent Lind et al.

MUD SCRAPING DEVICE Inventors: Henric Lind, Solna; Jiirgen Pihl,

Kungsangen, both of Sweden Assignee: Polypur Forsaljnings AB,

Sundbyberg, Sweden Filed: Dec. 28, 1973 Appl. No.: 429,634

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 3, 1973 Sweden 000721 US. Cl.210/527; 210/170; 210/241; 210/524 Int. Cl. C02B 1/20 Field of Search210/170, 241, 524, 525, 210/527, 322; 61/2 References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 8/1968 Forrest 210/525 NOV. 18, 1975 3,464,559 9/1969Bernard 210/527 3,526,591 9/1970 Hampton 1 210/527 3,822,788 7/1974Dunkers et a1, 210/527 Primary Examin erSamih N. Zaharna AssistantExaminer-F. F. Calvetti Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William J. Daniel [57]ABSTRACT The floors of a multi-compartment settling basin are freed ofsettled solids by a carriage traveling on a track extending along thetop of a common wall separating two adjacent compartments, a scraper andassociated suction duct being suspended from each of the two oppositesides of the carriage in proximity to the corresponding floor.

3 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure US. mem- Nov. 18, 1975 3,920,558

MUD SCRAPING DEVICE The present invention refers to a device forscraping off and discharging mud from settling basins or the like. Thedevice includes at least one scraper which is movable along the bottomof the basin to release mud therefrom and at least one dischargingdevice for the released mud.

ln settling basins it is known to use scrapers which are moved along thebottom of the basin in order to collect the mud deposited thereon. Thesescrapers have been driven by means of chains or wires connected tomotors which are stationary at one end of the basin. Separately arrangedmud discharging or drawing devices of different design have also beenused for discharging the mud.

The above mentioned, previously known system has some disadvantageswhich make the practical usage thereof ineffective. For instance, theinitial expenses are high because separate units are necessary for eachsettling basin. Of course, the space required is also large. Moreover,the scraping devices are bulky and difficult to handle and they requireservice inspections in order to function satisfactorily.

The purpose of the present invention is to remove the above indicateddisadvantages and to provide a device of the kind described above whichis simple and inexpensive to produce and maintain and which functionssatisfactorily even when the operation conditions are hard. This isaccomplished by giving the device the characteristics which appear fromthe following claims.

The invention will be described further below in connection with theenclosed drawing the single FIGURE of which shows a perspective view ofa mud scraping device according to one embodiment of the invention.

The FIGURE shows a mud scraping device which is intended to be used forsimultaneous scraping of the bottom of two adjacent settling basins land 2. For this purpose the mud scraping device according to the presentinvention is arranged on a carriage 3 which can be driven to and froalong a track 4 on the upper part of a wall 5 which separates the twosettling basins l and 2. The carriage is provided with supporting wheels6 and guiding wheels (not shown) for its guiding along track 4. Themovement of carriage 3 is performed by means of a motor 7 mounted on thecarriage, said motor being coupled to driving wheels or the like (notshown).

At each long side of carriage 3 there is a supporting frame 8 which isfastened to the carriage and extends downwards therefrom. The lower partof supporting frame 8 is adjacent to the bottom 9 of each settling basin1 and 2, said bottom inclining outwards and downwards from wall 5. Ascraping device is arranged at the lower part of supporting frame 8. inthe embodiment shown on the drawing said scraping device consists of twoscrapers 10 which are arranged in V-form with the apex thereof beingnear the lower part of the inclined bottom 9. The upper parts ofscrapers 10 are secured to supporting frame 8 and the lower parts ofscrapers 10 are coupled to each other by means of a coupling means 11which also supports a supporting wheel 12 which is intended to engagebottom 9 and to support scrapers 10 immediately above said bottom. Whencarriage 3 is moved to and fro along track 4 scrapers 10 will releasemud deposited on bottom 9. Due to the inclination of the bottom and theobliqueness of scrapers 10 mud will be collected belowthe lower ends ofscrapers l0.

Coupling means 11 also supports the lower part of a discharging ordrawing device for mud released by scrapers 10. In the embodiment shownthe mud drawing device consists of a mammoth or air lift pump 13 theintake port of which being located adjacent the lower ends of scrapers10. Both mammoth pumps 13 for the suction of mud from settling basins 1and 2 are driven by a common compressor 14 mounted on carriage 3. Theoutlet ports of pumps 13 are located above two mud grooves 16 which aremounted on the upper part of wall 5 above the highest water level insettling basins 1 and 2 and which convey the mud to devices not shownfor further treatment.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the embodiment describedabove, and changes and modifications are possible within the scope ofthe following claims. For instance, scrapers 10 do not need to bearranged in V-form but one single scraper can be used which isperpendicular to the moving direction of carriage 3, or a turnablescraper can be used which is inclined in different directions dependingon the moving direction of the carriage.

We claim:

1. A combined solids scraper and aspirator for a multicompartmentsettling basin having at least two adjacent compartments (1,2) separatedby a common wall (5) projecting above the level of said basin, whichcomprises track means (4) disposed along the top of said common wall(5), a carriage (3) traveling on said track (4), means (7) for drivingsaid carriage, separate scraping means (10) in each such compartment(1,2) suspended from opposite sides of said carriage (3) in proximity tothe respective compartment floors (9), suction duct means (13) carriedby said carriage in association with each such scraping means (10) forremoving the solids scraped thereby, pump means (13) coupled to saidsuction duct means for pumping said solids .through said duct means, andat least one collector channel extending along said common wall forreceiving said solids from said duct means away from said compartments.

2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in said pump means is anair lift pump (13) to which compression air is fed by means of a commoncompressor (14) mounted on the carriage (3).

3. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that each scrapingdevice consists of two scrapers (10) which are arranged in V-form withthe apex extending away from the carriage (3).

1. A COMBINED SOLIDS SCRAPER AND ASPIRATOR FOR A MULTICOMPARTMENTSETTLING BASIN HAVING AT LEAST TWO ADJACENT COMPARTMENTS (1,2) SEPARATEDBY A COMMON WALL (5) PROJECTING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID BASIN, WHICHCOMPRISES TRACK MEANS (4) DISPOSED ALONG THE TOP OF SAID COMMON WALL(5), A CARRIAGE (3) TRAVELING ON SAID TRACK (4), MEANS (7) FOR DRIVINGSAID CARRIAGE, SEPARATE SCRAPING MEANS (10) IN EACH SUCH COMPARTMENT(1,2) SUSPENDED FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CARRIAGE (3) IN PROXIMITY TOTHE RESPECTIVE COMPARTMENT FLOORS (9), SUCTION DUCT MEANS (13) CARRIEDBY SAID CARRIAGE IN ASSOCIATION WITH EACH SUCH SCRAPING MEANS (10) FORREMOVING THE SOLIDS SCRAPED THEREBY, PUMP MEANS (13) COUPLED TO SAIDSUCTION DUCT MEANS FOR PUMPING SAID SOLIDS THROUGH SAID DUCT MEANS, ANDAT LEAST ONE COLLECTOR CHANNEL EXTENDING ALONG SAID COMMON WALL FOR 2.Device according to claim 1 characterized in said pump means is an airlift pump (13) to which compression air is fed by means of a commoncompressor (14) mounted on the carriage (3).
 3. Device according toclaim 1 characterized in that each scraping device consists of twoscrapers (10) which are arranged in V-form with the apex extending awayfrom the carriage (3).